Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government published its Drugs Strategy, Rights, Respect and Recovery in November 2018. This provides the framework for our work with national and local partners, including Police Scotland, to focus on prevention which will reduce the individual, family and societal factors which increase the likelihood of alcohol and drug use and related harm.

We work with our partners to focus and align efforts to ensure people across Scotland are and feel safe in their communities. To support this aim, the Scottish Government provides support and funding to national community safety organisations to champion and take forward community safety activities. This includes annual grant funding the Scottish Community Safety Network SCSN (£250,000 in 2021-22), Crimestoppers (£104,000 for 2020-21), Neighbourhood Watch Scotland (£118,000 for 2021-22) and the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (£150,000 for 2020-21). Crimestoppers and Fearless run regular campaigns targeting drug related crime in Scotland. From 2020 this has included a focus on County Lines and the exploitation of children and young people who are coerced to move drugs across the country.

Local developments include the following:

The Scottish Government fund the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) who are currently working across the South and East Ayrshire local authority areas to help collaborative partnerships focused on supporting vulnerable individuals and families with multiple complex issues, including drug use. The SVRU have expanded their reach to the Wallacetown area of Ayrshire. The aim is to prevent violence by creating an environment where service providers work much more closely together in partnership, ensuring activity can be collaboratively focused on supporting vulnerable individuals and families with multiple complex issues, including drug use, to improve outcomes for the whole community.

The SVRU are also working with partners to test a Navigator model within Bowhouse Prison, Kilmarnock, to support inmates in their return to the community. The programme will address the individuals priority areas, identifying existing supportive networks as necessary. Crucial to this service is its ability to link with other providers and specialists such as addiction services.

In September 2019 a peer support pilot commenced in Ayr Police Office Custody Suite for arrested persons with drug or alcohol dependency. This was led by the Alcohol & Drugs Partnership and delivered by those with lived experience with the aim of better supporting those with addiction issues and encouraging them to engage with some of the local support groups in the area. The initial pilot ran until March 2020 and in that time 121 people were visited by a peer support worker whilst in police custody, with many taking up the offer of additional support. The pilot has seen some positive outcomes and is now in the final stages of evaluation with a view to a roll out across other custody suites in Ayrshire.

The South Ayrshire Alcohol and Drug Strategy for 2019-24 details a number of strategic priorities:

• develop innovative approaches to engage those at risk of an alcohol or drug related death in services and support, including individuals experiencing a non-fatal overdose.
• develop innovative ways of providing support for individuals in prison settings, including individuals on remand, and strengthen throughcare support for individuals returning to the community.
• undertake a peer-led police custody referral pilot aimed at increasing engagement with vulnerable individuals affected by alcohol or drugs.